Hot breakfast at Hilton has been hotly debated lately as the hotel chain made a shift from complimentary breakfast for elite members to food vouchers in the US.
Despite this change, Hilton remains ahead of other major hotel loyalty programs by providing a wider range of free breakfast choices. In this post, we will explore all the breakfast options you need to know when planning your next Hilton stay.
1. Breakfast with Hilton’s Team Member Rate.
In the EMEA and APAC regions, Hilton employees are entitled to complimentary breakfast when they avail the Go Hilton Team Member rate. Additionally, even when using the team member rate for friends and family, breakfast may be discounted or provided free of charge at select hotels.
2. Hilton hotels with always free breakfast.
Here are the Hilton brands that offer complimentary breakfast for all guests, regardless of the rate booked or their elite status.
- Embassy Suites: Enjoy a free cooked-to-order breakfast and a complimentary ‘Evening Reception’ with drinks and light bites every night.
- Hampton by Hilton: Start your day with a complimentary hot breakfast featuring options like waffles, bacon, eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, and more.
- Home2 Suites: Your stay includes a complimentary breakfast along with access to amenities like outdoor lounge areas, grills, and fire pits.
- Homewood Suites: Indulge in a free hot breakfast along with other amenities provided during your stay.
- Project H3 by Hilton: Benefit from a complimentary grab and go breakfast, free coffee available 24/7, a dedicated area for package and food delivery, and an on-site market.
- Spark by Hilton: Enjoy a free continental breakfast consisting of, among other options, bagels, muffins, yogurt, and freshly brewed Folger’s coffee.
- Tru by Hilton: Start your day with a complimentary pancake breakfast.
Hilton refers to this benefit as a brand amenity. This is similar to the free breakfast at Holiday Inn Express properties.
Note that there may be some exceptions. Check your rate details carefully before booking.
3. Hilton’s free breakfast offer for Gold and Diamond elite members.
Depending on whether you are staying at a Hilton hotel in the US or outside the US, the breakfast options and benefits for elite members vary.
Like complimentary room upgrades, access to Hilton Executive Lounges, and pretty much everything else about your stay, breakfast options are far better outside the US than at hotels in the US for elite members.
At Hilton hotels outside the US.
For Hilton hotels outside the US, Gold, or Diamond Members can enjoy a daily complimentary continental breakfast for themselves and one additional guest registered to the same room.
This benefit is selected as a Hilton MyWay Benefit and is only available at Hilton hotels and resorts located outside the United States.
The breakfast is served in the designated restaurant or Executive Lounge.
This benefit is available at Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Garden Inn, DoubleTree by Hilton, Signia by Hilton, and Tapestry Collection by Hilton.
Note that some Hilton brands (previous section of this post) provide free breakfast for all guests anyway. Those brands are not included in this list.
At Hilton hotels in the US.
On the other hand, at Hilton hotels in the US, Gold or Diamond Members can receive a daily Food & Beverage credit as part of their MyWay Benefit.
This credit applies to the Member and one additional guest (up to two guests total) registered to the same room each night of their stay. The amount of the daily credit varies depending on the brand of Hilton hotel.
| Hilton Brand | Daily Credit |
|---|---|
| Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts | US$ 25 per guest |
| Canopy by Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Signia by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Motto by Hilton*, and Tapestry Collection by Hilton | US$ 15-18 per guest |
| Hilton Garden Inn | US$ 10 per guest |
Note that a $12 F&B Credit per night will be provided at Motto by Hilton Tulum and a 10€ F&B Credit per night will be provided at Motto by Hilton Rotterdam Blaak.
Hotels with Executive Lounges offering complimentary breakfast will not provide the Food & Beverage credit to Diamond Members and Gold Members upgraded to Executive Lounge access.
However, Gold members who are not upgraded to Executive Lounge access will still receive the daily credit.
There is a bit of uncertainty around the usage of these credits due to the lack of uniform rules across various hotels.
It is recommended to inquire about these rules at check-in — such as whether credits can be combined, if they must be used daily, if they apply only for breakfast or all meals, if they are applicable for in-room dining, and if servers need to be informed when placing an order.
Clarifying these details will help ensure a smoother experience during your stay.
Still better than all other loyalty programs.
Hilton is the only major hotel program that offers complimentary breakfast to guests starting from Gold elite status.
In contrast, other popular hotel programs such as IHG, Marriott, and Accor have higher requirements for access to free breakfast.
IHG provides this benefit exclusively to their Diamond members, Marriott offers it to Platinum members and above, and Accor only starts offering free breakfast from the Platinum level in the Asia Pacific region.
4. Free breakfast at Hilton with credit cards.
Think of any hotel-related perk, and there is a credit card for that. It’s relatively simple to get free breakfast at Hilton hotels, if you can get hold of the right credit card.
To qualify for free breakfast at Hilton Hotels, you need to be a Gold or Diamond elite member of Hilton Honors. Fortunately, there are several credit cards that offer this status as a regular benefit.
In the United States, there are three official Hilton credit cards that provide either Gold or Platinum status.
Additionally, the Amex Platinum card in India offers Hilton Gold (as well as Marriott Gold). Amex Platinum in the US, UK, and in many other countries also offers this status.
5. Stay at a Hilton All-Inclusive resort.
Hilton offers a selection of all-inclusive resorts where guests can enjoy complimentary breakfast, lunch, and dinner as part of their stay. These meals are included in the price, eliminating the need for any additional charges.
6. Book a club access room.
If your plan is to spend most your time at the property, it may be beneficial to consider booking a room with access to the club lounge, especially if the price difference is minimal.
In addition to breakfast, Hilton executive lounges provide various amenities such as tea, coffee, beverages throughout the day, evening cocktails, and light snacks.
7. Use Hilton breakfast promotions, when available.
You always have the choice to pay extra and secure a rate that includes breakfast. However, sometimes these rates are significantly discounted or even offered at no additional cost. Make sure to monitor the latest Hilton Promotions for these types of offers.
